Vehicle system comprising a mother ship and an unmanned watercraft, and method for recovering an unmanned watercraft

ABSTRACT

A vehicle system may include a mother ship and an unmanned water vehicle that can be received on the mother ship. To recover the unmanned water vehicle, a floating body connected to the mother ship via a line can be lowered into water. A catch device for catching the line may be positioned on the unmanned water vehicle. The floating body may transmit location signals that can be received and used by the unmanned water vehicle to navigate towards the floating body. The unmanned water vehicle may be configured to circle the floating body, and the catch device of the unmanned water vehicle may then catch the line to create a connection between the mother ship and the unmanned water vehicle.”

PRIOR ART

The present invention relates to a vehicle system having a mother ship and an unmanned water vehicle, which can be received on the mother ship, wherein in order to recover the unmanned water vehicle by means of the mother ship a floating body which is connected to the mother ship via a line can be lowered in the water. The invention further relates to a method for recovering an unmanned water vehicle by a mother ship, wherein a floating body which is connected to the mother ship via a line is lowered in the water.

Unmanned water vehicles do not comprise an individual crew and can operate as an unmanned underwater vehicle under the surface of the water or as an unmanned surface vehicle at the surface of the water. In the case of unmanned water vehicles, a distinction is made between water vehicles which are remote-controlled and water vehicles which operate autonomously. In the civilian field of application, for example, unmanned water vehicles are used in the context of marine research. In the military sector, autonomous water vehicles are used inter alia for clearing purposes, for example, in order to identify sea mines.

Unmanned water vehicles are generally lowered in the water from a mother ship and are recovered by the mother ship after the mission thereof has concluded. In the vehicle system which is known from WO 2007/033 384 A with a mother ship and an unmanned water vehicle, there are deployed in order to recover the unmanned water vehicle a plurality of floating bodies, between which a cable extends. The unmanned water vehicle carries a catch hook on a cable, with which the cable which extends between the two floating bodies is caught in order to produce contact between the unmanned water vehicle and the mother ship.

In this vehicle system, there is the disadvantage that a large number of components are necessary in order to recover the unmanned water vehicle with the two floating bodies and the cable.

In order to stow those components, there must be provision on board the mother ship or on board the underwater vehicle for sufficient stowage space which is often not available in particular in the military application sector.

STATEMENT OF INVENTION

Against this background, an object of the present invention is to reduce the stowage space necessary for the devices for recovering the unmanned water vehicle.

In order to achieve the object, there is proposed a vehicle system having a mother ship and an unmanned water vehicle which can be received by the mother ship, wherein in order to recover the unmanned water vehicle by means of the mother ship a floating body which is connected to the mother ship via a line can be lowered in the water, and wherein a catch device for catching the line is arranged on the unmanned water vehicle.

In the vehicle system according to the invention, the line which extends between the floating body and the water vehicle can be caught by the catch device of the unmanned water vehicle so that contact between the unmanned water vehicle and the mother ship is produced. It is unnecessary to deploy a plurality of floating bodies in order to recover the unmanned water vehicle.

The number of components required to recover the unmanned water vehicle is reduced so that the stowage space necessary for stowing the components at the side of the mother ship and the unmanned water vehicle is also reduced.

According to a preferred embodiment, the catch device is constructed in a fixed manner on the outer contour of the unmanned water vehicle. This involves the advantage that the catch device is ready for use continuously and an activation of the catch device is unnecessary before the recovery by the mother ship. It is further unnecessary to provide additional space in order to stow the catch device on board the unmanned water vehicle. The catch device may be constructed in the manner of a catch hook or in the manner of a catch rod.

An alternative embodiment makes provision for the catch device to be brought from a rest position, in which the catch device is arranged inside the outer contour of the unmanned water vehicle, into a catch position, in which the catch device projects from the outer contour. As a result of the catch device which is located internally in the rest position, the flow properties of the unmanned water vehicle are not impaired by the catch device. In the catch position, the catch device preferably projects from the outer contour of the unmanned water vehicle in such a manner that the line can catch in the catch device during travel of the unmanned water vehicle past the floating body and contact between the unmanned water vehicle and the mother ship can be produced.

The floating body preferably has a transmission device for transmitting location signals so that the floating body can be located by the unmanned water vehicle. Such a transmission device is particularly advantageous in order to recover autonomous water vehicles because the control of the autonomous water vehicle can be carried out on the basis of the located position of the floating body. The location signals transmitted by the transmission device are preferably radio signals, underwater sound signals and/or light signals. In order to receive the location signals, the unmanned water vehicle advantageously has a corresponding signal receiver. The signal receiver may be constructed, for example, as a radio receiver, sound receiver, sonar and/or light detector.

In a particularly preferable manner, there is arranged in the region of the line which faces the floating body a spacer which prevents the floating body from moving into abutment with the unmanned water vehicle. If the unmanned water vehicle continues to move in the water after the line has been caught by the catch device, there is the risk that the floating body may be drawn toward the unmanned water vehicle and damage may be caused to the unmanned water vehicle as a result of the contact with the floating body. The spacer can prevent the floating body from being drawn so close to the unmanned water vehicle that it moves into abutment with the unmanned water vehicle.

In order to achieve the object set out in the introduction, there is further proposed a method for recovering an unmanned water vehicle by a mother ship, wherein a floating body which is connected to the mother ship via a line is lowered in the water and wherein a catch device which is arranged on the unmanned water vehicle catches the line in order to produce contact between the mother ship and the unmanned water vehicle.

As a result of the method according to the invention, the same advantageous effects can be achieved as those which have already been described above in connection with the vehicle system.

A preferred embodiment of the method makes provision for the unmanned water vehicle to locate the floating body so that the unmanned water vehicle can maneuver on the basis of the located position of the floating body in the direction of the floating body. The location of the floating body can be carried out by means of a signal receiver which is arranged on board the unmanned water vehicle for radio signals, sound signals and/or light signals. Alternatively or additionally, there may be arranged on board the unmanned water vehicle a sonar system, a radar system or an optical detection device, via which the floating body is located.

It is particularly preferable if the unmanned water vehicle circles around the floating body. As a result of circling around the floating body, the probability can be increased that the catch device catches the line which connects the floating body to the mother ship. It is not necessary for the unmanned water vehicle to detect the extent of the line in order to catch it. In the case of an unmanned water vehicle which is armed, the circling action around the floating body can prevent the unmanned water vehicle and therefore also the weapon from having to be oriented toward the mother ship. The circling of the unmanned water vehicle around the floating body further involves the advantage that an additional catch attempt is directly carried out within a short time period after an unsuccessful catch attempt, wherein it is attempted to catch the line with the catch device of the unmanned water vehicle. Advantageously, the unmanned water vehicle circles completely around the floating body so that the unmanned water vehicle in any case moves near the line and the line can be caught by the catch device which is arranged on the unmanned water vehicle. In the case of autonomous water vehicles, it is advantageous for a control device of the water vehicle to control the vehicle in such a manner that it circles around the floating body. The movement of the unmanned water vehicle around the floating body may have the path of a circle, the path of an ellipse or the path of a spiral. Alternatively or additionally, the travel depth of the unmanned water vehicle can be varied during the circling around the floating body in order to increase the probability of catching a line which extends under the surface of the water.

It has been found to be advantageous for the unmanned water vehicle to be switched to a nondriven state after the line has been caught, whereby undesirable tension on the line can be prevented. Preferably, the drive of the unmanned water vehicle is switched off when the unmanned water vehicle moves into abutment with a spacer which is arranged on the line and/or with the floating body.

Preferably, the unmanned water vehicle is brought on board the mother ship by means of the line. By pulling on the line, the unmanned water vehicle can be brought in the direction of the mother ship after the line has been caught. The unmanned water vehicle can be pulled by means of the cable, for example, onto a ramp of the mother ship, or the cable can be guided through a davit in order to lift the unmanned water vehicle out of the water.

In addition to the above-mentioned advantageous embodiments of the method, in the method according to the invention the advantageous features which are described in connection with the vehicle system can also be used alone or in combination.

Additional details, features and advantages of the invention will be appreciated from the drawings and the following description of preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. In this instance, the drawings illustrate merely exemplary embodiments of the invention which do not limit the notion of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a first embodiment of a vehicle system according to the invention with an unmanned underwater vehicle.

FIG. 2 shows the vehicle system according to FIG. 1, wherein the catch device of the unmanned water vehicle is in contact with the line between the floating body and the mother ship.

FIG. 3 shows the vehicle system according to FIG. 1, wherein the catch device is in contact with the spacer.

FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of a second embodiment of a vehicle system according to the invention with an unmanned surface vehicle.

EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

In the different Figures, the same components are always indicated with the same reference numerals and are therefore also generally only mentioned or set out once.

The illustration in FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the vehicle system 1 according to the invention with a military mother ship 2 and an unmanned water vehicle 3 which is constructed as an autonomous underwater vehicle. The unmanned water vehicle 3 is used to detect and to clear sea mines. In order to recover the unmanned water vehicle 3 after the mission thereof has ended, particular provisions which are intended to be described below are carried out in the vehicle system 1.

There can be lowered by the mother ship 2 a floating body 4 which is in the form of a buoy and which is connected to the mother ship 2 via a line 5. Furthermore, there is arranged on the unmanned water vehicle 3 a catch device 9, with which the line 5 which extends between the floating body 4 and the mother ship 2 can be caught in order to produce contact between the mother ship 2 and the unmanned water vehicle 3.

The catch device 9 of the unmanned water vehicle 3 is constructed in the manner of a hooked rod. The catch device 9 has at least one hook-like region in which the line 5 can be caught. The catch device 9 may be arranged in a fixed manner on the outer contour of the unmanned water vehicle 3. Alternatively, the catch device may be constructed so as to be displaceable so that it can be moved from a rest position, in which the catch device 9 is arranged inside the outer contour of the unmanned water vehicle 3, into a catch position, in which the catch device 9 projects from the outer contour of the unmanned water vehicle 3.

Initially, the unmanned water vehicle 3 is brought by the mother ship 2 near the area of use thereof and is launched so that the unmanned water vehicle 3 can carry out its mission in the area of use.

The floating body 4 is stored on board the mother ship 2 and is launched in order to recover the unmanned water vehicle 3 after the mission has ended so that it is propelled to the water surface W. The floating body 4 is connected to the mother ship 2 via the line 5 and therefore remains in the environment of the mother ship 2. During the recovery of the unmanned water vehicle 3, the mother ship 2 may selectively be moved or may stand in the water in a substantially non-moving manner. The floating body 3 is a buoy which is provided with a transmission device in order to transmit location signals. There are emitted via the transmission device of the floating body 4 radio signals which are received by the unmanned water vehicle 3. Alternatively or additionally, underwater sound signals and/or light signals may be transmitted by the floating body 4.

On the basis of the location signals which are emitted by the floating body 4, the unmanned water vehicle 3 locates the floating body 4. The unmanned water vehicle 3 is controlled by a control device of the unmanned water vehicle 3 in such a manner that it moves in the direction of the floating body 4. If the unmanned water vehicle 3 has a displaceable catch device 9, the catch device 9 is brought into the catch position thereof as soon as the unmanned water vehicle 3 reaches the region of the floating body 3. The unmanned water vehicle 3 is controlled in such a manner that the unmanned water vehicle 3 circles around the floating body 4. If the line 5 cannot be caught by the catch device 9 of the unmanned water vehicle 3 during a first circling action, it is possible that it may be achieved during one of the subsequent circling actions of the floating body 4. In this regard, the circling action involves the advantage that a plurality of catch attempts can be carried out in a short time period. Furthermore, the risk of a collision of the unmanned water vehicle 3 with the mother ship 2 is reduced during the catching operation and/or during surfacing as a result of the distance of the floating body 4 from the mother ship 2, which distance is predetermined by the length of the line 5.

As can be seen in the illustration in FIG. 2, the catch device 9 finally comes into contact with the line 5 during circling around the floating body 4 and the line 5 is caught in the catch device 9. During the subsequent movement of the unmanned water vehicle 3 around the floating body 3, the line 5 is pulled by the catch device 9 so that the floating body 4 and the unmanned water vehicle 3 move toward each other.

In order to prevent the unmanned water vehicle 3 from being damaged by the floating body 4, a spacer 6 is provided on the line 5. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the unmanned water vehicle 3 strikes the spacer 6 after the line 5 has been caught. As soon as the unmanned water vehicle 3 is in abutment with the spacer 6, the drive of the unmanned water vehicle 3 is switched off.

The line 5 is then pulled in the direction of the mother ship 2 by a hauling device 7 of the mother ship 2 in order to haul in the line 5 together with the unmanned water vehicle 3 and the floating body 4. The unmanned water vehicle 3 is either pulled onto the mother ship 2 via a ramp 8 of the mother ship 2 or it is lifted out of the water via a davit of the mother ship 2.

Unlike the example which is illustrated in the Figures and in which the line 5 rubs in the region of the water surface W, the line 5 may extend below the water surface W and may be caught at that location by the catch device 9 of the unmanned water vehicle 3. An extent of the line 5 under the water surface W is particularly advantageous in the case of heavy waves.

FIG. 4 illustrates a second embodiment of the vehicle system 1 according to the invention. Unlike in the vehicle system 1 of the first embodiment, the unmanned water vehicle 3 is constructed as a remote-controlled surface vehicle which is used for clearance purposes. The unmanned water vehicle 3 can be recovered by the mother ship 2 and received on the mother ship 2 with the method described in connection with the first embodiment.

The above-described vehicle system 1 has a mother ship 2 and an unmanned water vehicle 3 which can be received on the mother ship 2, wherein a floating body 4 which is connected to the mother ship 2 via a line 5 can be lowered in the water in order to recover the unmanned water vehicle 3 by means of the mother ship 2, and wherein a catch device 9 for catching the line 5 is arranged on the unmanned water vehicle 3. In the recovery method described for recovering the unmanned water vehicle 3 by means of the mother ship 2, a floating body 4 which is connected to the mother ship 2 via a line 5 is lowered in the water and a catch device 9 which is arranged on the unmanned water vehicle 3 catches the line 5 in order to produce contact between the mother ship 2 and the unmanned water vehicle 3. In the case of the vehicle system 1 and the method, the number of components required to recover the unmanned water vehicle 3 is reduced so that the stowage space necessary for stowing the components is also reduced at the side of the mother ship 2 and the unmanned water vehicle 3.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

-   1 Vehicle system -   2 Mother ship -   3 Unmanned water vehicle -   4 Floating body -   5 Line -   6 Spacer -   7 Hauling device -   8 Ramp -   9 Catch device 

1.-10. (canceled).
 11. A vehicle system comprising: a mother ship; an unmanned water vehicle that is receivable by the mother ship; a floating body that is connected to the mother ship via a line and can be lowered into water, the floating body for recovering the unmanned water vehicle; and a catch device disposed on the unmanned water vehicle, the catch device for catching the line connecting the floating body and the mother ship.
 12. The vehicle system of claim 11 wherein the catch device is constructed in a fixed manner on an outer contour of the unmanned water vehicle.
 13. The vehicle system of claim 11 wherein the catch device is movable from a rest position in which the catch device is positioned inside an outer contour of the unmanned water vehicle to a catch position in which the catch device projects from the outer contour of the unmanned water vehicle.
 14. The vehicle system of claim 11 further comprising a spacer positioned in a region of the line that faces the floating body, the spacer preventing the floating body from moving into abutment with the unmanned water vehicle.
 15. The vehicle system of claim 11 wherein the floating body includes a transmission device for transmitting location signals.
 16. The vehicle system of claim 15 wherein the location signals comprise at least one of radio signals, underwater sound signals, or light signals.
 17. The vehicle system of claim 15 wherein the unmanned water vehicle comprises a signal receiver for receiving the location signals transmitted by the floating body, wherein the signal receiver comprises at least one of a radio receiver, a sound receiver, sonar, or a light detector.
 18. The vehicle system of claim 11 wherein a control device of the unmanned water vehicle that is in receipt of the location signals from the floating body commands the unmanned water vehicle to travel towards the floating body after a mission of the unmanned water vehicle has ended.
 19. The vehicle system of claim 11 wherein the unmanned water vehicle includes a transmission device for transmitting location signals.
 20. The vehicle system of claim 19 wherein the floating body comprises a signal receiver for receiving the location signals transmitted by the unmanned water vehicle, wherein the signal receiver comprises at least one of a radio receiver, a sound receiver, sonar, or a light detector.
 21. The vehicle system of claim 11 wherein the unmanned water vehicle is configured to circle the floating body when the unmanned water vehicle is to be retrieved, wherein a depth of the unmanned water vehicle while the unmanned water vehicle circles the floating body can be varied to increase a likelihood of catching the line where the line extends under a surface of the water.
 22. The vehicle system of claim 11 wherein the catch device comprises a hooked rod.
 23. The vehicle system of claim 11 wherein the catch device is configured to pull the line so that the floating body and the unmanned water vehicle move toward one another.
 24. The vehicle system of claim 11 wherein the line extends to a location below a surface of the water and is caught by the catch device of the unmanned water vehicle at the location below the surface of the water.
 25. A method for recovering an unmanned water vehicle by a mother ship, the method comprising: lowering a floating body that is connected to the mother ship via a line into water; and catching the line with a catch device disposed on the unmanned water vehicle to produce contact between the mother ship and the unmanned water vehicle.
 26. The method of claim 25 wherein the unmanned water vehicle locates the floating body.
 27. The method of claim 25 wherein the unmanned water vehicle circles around the floating body.
 28. The method of claim 25 further comprising switching the unmanned water vehicle to a non-driven state after the line has been caught.
 29. The method of claim 25 further comprising bringing the unmanned water vehicle on board the mother ship by way of the line.
 30. The method of claim 25 further comprising storing the floating body on board the mother ship until after a mission of the unmanned water vehicle has ended. 